Everyone remembers a funny story. We don’t always tell it the same way but our version reflects the lasting impression that story had upon us.

In direct marketing that mental image makes all the difference. Repeat business depends upon a lasting impression that continually brings people back to us.

The people on your direct marketing email list choose when to start and stop receiving mail. When you create and deliver messages to people who’ve been kind enough to show interest there are a few things that are just rude:

1. Selling their information

2. Selling them anything

3. Linking them to every item available online in the same email

So we keep it simple, relevant to their interests and riveting. After all if they want to get bored they have cable TV.

If we’re not preparing to succeed we won’t. Success doesn’t happen by mistake and we come to the role of leadership by design; by purposeful intent.

Are you using a comprehensive plan to design your role as a leader?

As entrepreneurs we study leadership as demonstrated by those who’ve successfully fulfilled that role. As we open our minds to the possibilities we discover that this world, our country, our community and our home, all need to be lead.

I enjoy finding inspirational videos like this online almost as much as making them.

Online

Most of my leadership development training takes place right here inside cyberspace. In this setting no mentor needs to leave their office or home, no student needs to catch a bus, train or plane.

As an entrepreneur this training is essential. Regardless of our expertise or specific areas of knowledge, becoming leaders and developing leaders determines how quickly a business can grow.

In this environment, I have access to both training materials and business resources, but when I’m teaching or learning about becoming a better leader, I don’t have the intimate connection that makes it real.

On The Phone

The over the phone training session is something I’ve been doing my entire adult life. I remotely train either clients or colleagues while they’re present with a software or hardware configuration that I can’t see.

For obvious reasons this takes more time:
1. The terminology I’m using may not be the same as an onscreen readout
2. They have to explain what they see.
3. I have to interpret what they see.
4. They have to find what I’m explaining.

Over the phone leadership development has some sense of personal contact but not the real deal. We want to ensure what we’re communicating is actually understood.

A training session on a software program will have some evidence of comprehension; they’ve arrived at the desired screen.

Knowing that a leadership skill has been grasped is more difficult to ascertain.

Live and In Person

Nothing beats this. I know when I’m sitting down with someone if they understand me. If I’m not convinced, I can read their eyes and body language while they answer questions.

The same is true for a live event. Nothing compares to being able to confront a speaker with my specific question. Nothing presents more meaningful feedback than having someone relate what you’ve taught in their own terms.

Packing My Bags

I’m attending a Master Marketing Event in Boca Raton at the end of the month. I’ll have an opportunity to meet a few leaders I’ve only seen online in videos or heard over Webinars and phone calls.

This is leadership development training at its best. All of the passion we can muster for an online meeting doesn’t even compare to the warm up at an event like this.

We’re social creatures. We wither and die in isolation. In community relationships with like minded individuals our energy soars.

The Needs Never Stop…

While the ongoing relief effort in Haiti keeps uncovering need upon need, another disaster hits Chile.

While still reading the stories about the situation in South America the news stories about the winter storms ravaging Europe began to hit the news wire.

Compassionate entrepreneurs may not have deep enough pockets to cover all the needs, but they have the skills to motivate others to help. This is leadership by example.

Devastation on this scale has a tendency to make people feel helpless; those feelings can turn into inaction. Unless somebody does something, no one will do anything.

… Compassion Never Stops Either

It usually only takes one person to roll up their sleeves and get busy trying to fix a problem they’ll never be able to fix on their own, before the waves of support begin to roll along.

Great men and women don’t look at what they can’t do, they do what they can.

My Favorite Coach

I’m not sure how the subject of leadership style came up but when guys get talking on the same subject for a long enough period of time it always turns to sports.

I played football and tennis when I was younger. They didn’t necessarily attract the same athletes and certainly required different coaching strategies.

I remember my football coaches very well because they tended to spend a great deal of time shouting and throwing clip boards. My dad was a football coach so I knew from a very young age that most of the emotion was intended to get the players’ adrenaline pumping. It was a necessary component both for the benefit of the team and the protection of the player.

Coaching Techniques aren’t Universal

So the conversation turned to one of my old football coaches who had taken over the tennis team.

“How’s that working out?” I asked already laughing.

My friend described the jeering and criticism this man was firing at players, during their matches. He either had no idea how negatively this was impacting the players or didn’t care. The opposing coaches were either content to have him sabotage his own team, or were intimidated by his size.

A Time and A Place

In business we rarely need the leadership style of the football coach, but always crave the style of the true tennis coach. When obtaining specific goals depends upon our level of concentration, encouragement and praise are food for self confidence.

Just like a tennis player needs to believe they are good enough to defeat their opponent (not a pathetic loser with a forehand like an old lady) an entrepreneur needs the confidence necessary to persevere through difficulties.

The leadership style dripping with positive reinforcement always produces amazing results. Coupled with a genuine interest in other peoples success, that leader is priceless.

1. Entrepreneurs have vision.

2. They take action.

3. They keep learning.

If there was an award for having a teachable spirit it would almost certainly be given to an entrepreneur. They’re driven to continuous learning because they have vision.

With a laser focus they seek out knowledge in an intense effort to move forward. Every fiber of their being is designed to progress, to grow, to expand. They can’t stop moving forward because of the vision.

Anyone who unswervingly believes in what they’re doing can’t be stopped. People who passionately strive to satisfy the desire of their hearts won’t be trapped by confusion or indecision.

They would rather welcome a thousand mistakes that can be learned from, than wait on the shores of indecision while their boat sails away.

Not only does the entrepreneur envision what they want, they believe it is already in their possession.

If you think leaders are heard over great internet connections, or with great software, think again.

When I showed up for an impromptu marketing webinar and quickly realized we’d actually be interacting vocally, I scrambled to find a microphone and cable. This was new to me and I had no idea if it would even work.

Not only did it work, but judging by the reaction from Mark Hoverson, it wasn’t expected. Special thanks to Mark for pointing out an important fact:

Something That is Obvious to You, Isn’t Necessarily Obvious to Others

Since my very first experience with online training it was obvious that the stuff leaders were using everyday was vastly different than the equipment and expense put into a professional production.

It only took a few seconds to realize that doesn’t have to be the case. Leaders are heard when their voices don’t hit overdrive, fade out, pop, click or just sound muffled.

Everyone can be heard with one of these… especially online.

I live in an area where what I do isn’t half as valuable to the fathers I know as how I do it seems to be (I work from home). I’ve traveled for work to jobs in just about every direction from where I live and none of them are without problems.

As the cost of living continues to rise and two parent incomes no longer meet the lifestyles people had become accustomed to, alternative or extra income sources are highly sought after. Anyone who spends all day working would prefer generating that extra income from home through an online business opportunity, rather than staying away from their family even more.

The beautiful part is when the entrepreneur no longer depends upon the job on the outside and the lifestyle suddenly transcends the one they used to miss. Opportunity is only exceeded by a greater opportunity.

Can I Support My Family?

I’m always excited to work with young people who understand the benefits of a work at home opportunity. The advantage to starting a business when we’re young is that it usually only affects one person.

The person who loses a job or a business later in life tends to have more people depending on them. While a legitimate home business opportunity can help either succeed, the older we are, the harder that decision becomes.

When we measure up just how great the opportunity appears to be, the focus isn’t on what someone else has accomplished, or even what it will cost to get involved. The number one concern for aspiring entrepreneurs is profitability.

In order to generate wealth or success in any business, it must be built upon an established system that works. I need to have faith in the ability of that system because I’m not just investing my time and energy, I’m investing my family’s future.